UN agency reports rise in number of Armenians seeking asylum abroad

A United Nations agency dealing with refugees says the number of applications for asylum from Armenians in European and other developed countries has been rising in the past two years.

A report published this week by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees suggests that more than 11,000 citizens of Armenia sought asylum in the West during this period.

Thus, the number of applications for asylum from Armenians in France doubled in 2011 over the previous year to stand at more than 3,600, making citizens of Armenia the third largest group of asylum seekers in this country after citizens of Russia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

More than 6,000 Armenians applied for asylum in European countries -- an increase by a thousand as compared to the year before.

Among the countries where Armenians prefer to seek asylum most are also Australia, Germany, Canada, Poland and others.